Reece Gardner: Believe in the power of miracles

By Reece Gardner / Columnist

Published: Tuesday, April 2, 2013 at 06:53 PM.

Yes, miracles still happen!

As I mentioned in a previous column, I have — over the years — had the opportunity to hear hundreds of inspiring presentations. The one I want to share with you today came from a class in Wilson and was presented by Tommy Watson.

He stepped before the class and, with deep emotion in his voice, shared the following:

“My little boy was 4 years of age when he began to stumble. He would be playing outside and for no apparent reason, he would fall. My wife and I were, of course, concerned, but we tried to attribute his situation to growing pains.

“However, when he began falling more frequently, we made an appointment to have him thoroughly checked by a group of physicians at a medical clinic in the Tarboro area.

“After running tests on him for several hours, the doctors called my wife and I into a meeting room and gave us some very bad news. They said that our little boy was suffering from a severe nerve malfunction that was untreatable and that within a matter of several weeks he would very probably not be able to move at all.

“We just couldn’t, or wouldn’t, accept this diagnosis, and we made an appointment to see some specialists at ECU’s Medical Center in Greenville. After a full day of testing, these doctors came back with the same devastating news.

As I mentioned in a previous column, I have — over the years — had the opportunity to hear hundreds of inspiring presentations. The one I want to share with you today came from a class in Wilson and was presented by Tommy Watson.

He stepped before the class and, with deep emotion in his voice, shared the following:

“My little boy was 4 years of age when he began to stumble. He would be playing outside and for no apparent reason, he would fall. My wife and I were, of course, concerned, but we tried to attribute his situation to growing pains.

“However, when he began falling more frequently, we made an appointment to have him thoroughly checked by a group of physicians at a medical clinic in the Tarboro area.

“After running tests on him for several hours, the doctors called my wife and I into a meeting room and gave us some very bad news. They said that our little boy was suffering from a severe nerve malfunction that was untreatable and that within a matter of several weeks he would very probably not be able to move at all.

“We just couldn’t, or wouldn’t, accept this diagnosis, and we made an appointment to see some specialists at ECU’s Medical Center in Greenville. After a full day of testing, these doctors came back with the same devastating news.

“During this time, we had not shared any of these findings with our son, but he, of course, sensed that something was terribly wrong and would ask us to please make things right for him.

“We decided to make one more attempt at getting some better news and we made an appointment with a group of doctors in Richmond.”

Tommy then hesitated as he tried to regain his composure, then he continued:

“Our appointment was set for 10 a.m. on a Thursday in December. It was at 6 a.m. that we pulled out of our driveway and a freezing rain had begun to fall. Our moods, all three of us, matched the dreariness of the weather.

“We arrived at the hospital in Richmond, and tests were immediately begun. I wish I could tell you that the results were different from the previous two, but they were the same.

“I can’t really recall the events that immediately unfolded after that. We did go to a restaurant, but I remember very little about it.

“Finally, late into the night, we were in our car on our way back home. It was around midnight as we drove on Hwy 401 Bypass around Rocky Mount; our little boy was asleep — or at least trying to sleep — and my wife and I were very deep in thought.

“Then, without even thinking about it, I reached out my right hand to her, and as we clasped hands, I pulled the car over to the side of the road and turned off the engine. It was then that we prayed — loudly and emotionally — that the Lord would see fit to make our little boy well again, that he might grow up strong and healthy.”

Tommy hesitated at that point and then he looked at us with his eyes shining like the ceiling lights in the room.

And he exclaimed, “Folks, that’s been five years ago and our little boy has not stumbled since! I know that we were visited by a miracle at midnight on that lonely road around Rocky Mount!”

One of my favorite radio personalities, Paul Harvey, closed one of his programs in the following manner: “Hey, what about that man in Tulsa, Oklahoma — went in to see Oral Roberts in a wheelchair, came out walking — that’s right, he had been in a wheelchair for some 20 years. So to those of you who believe that modern-day miracles no longer happen, don’t tell that man out in Tulsa, Oklahoma — he may just walk all over you! Paul Harvey … GOOD DAY!”

Reece Gardner is the host of “The Reece Gardner Hour,” which airs on TACC-9 on Mondays at 9 p.m., Tuesdays at 8 p.m., Thursdays at 11 p.m., Sundays at 10:30 p.m.and on-demand anytime at TACC9.com. You can reach Reece at rbgej@aol.com.